[Malaria as a re-emerging disease in the countries of the WHO European Region: lessons of history and the present day situation in Trans-Caucasian Region and Turkey]. / Vozvrat malarii v strany Evropeiskogo regiona VOZ: uroki istorii i sovremennaia situatsiia v Zakavkaz'e i Turtsii.

ABSTRACT

Despite vast investments and strenuous efforts, malaria has been never totally eradicated on the southern borders of the former USSR and Turkey. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, malaria outbreaks and epidemics were registered in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Tadjikistan. Although they were contained, it proved impossible to completely interrupt malaria transmission in the countries in question. The present malaria situation illustrates once again that the achievements of malaria eradication programmes in the countries of Europe could not be maintained indefinitely. Since the early 1990's, the incidence of malaria has been on the rise due to the aggravated political and socioeconomic situation, mass population movements, the deployed extensive development projects, and a near-complete discontinuation in activities for malaria prevention and control. Nowadays, we witness a massive return of malaria into the areas of Europe where it has been previously eradicated. The paper discusses the malaria situation in the countries of the Transcaucasian Region and Turkey with particular emphasis on successes and failures of the recent global eradication efforts, on the reasons for and the extent of resurgence of this disease; and on operational research findings concerning the management and prevention of malaria.